


All I Want For Christmas

by deirdre_aithne



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Christmas, F/M, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-12-25
Updated: 2010-12-25
Packaged: 2017-11-07 13:48:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,829
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/431858
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/deirdre_aithne/pseuds/deirdre_aithne
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Draco's having a grouchy holiday, until Pansy steps in to help him get what he wants for Christmas this year.</p>
            </blockquote>





	All I Want For Christmas

**Author's Note:**

> Much love to lorcalon for the beta work on this.
> 
> If you're unfamiliar with the significance of a silver pine cone, it's from an old Yule legend; you would usually only give one to someone you love or are very close to.

“What's this for?” Draco asked, looking down at the package of emerald tinsel Parkinson had just thrown into his lap upon entering the common room.

“For decorating your bed, Draco. You're the only one who hasn't, it seems.” Suppressing a sigh, the blond tossed the bag of tinsel back at the witch and snatched his copy of the Daily Prophet back up from the arm of his chair. It wasn't the first time one of his fellow Slytherins had tried to convince him to decorate for the holiday. One had even been so bold as to do it for him, and immediately after setting fire to every strand of garland and holly, he had retaliated.

His house mates had returned from dinner that night to find the offending eight-year boy charmed to hover at the ceiling of their common room, bound with holiday ribbons and decorated with colourful ornaments and fairy lights. After that, no one had dared to mention the festive season around Draco again, for fear of spending an hour or so decked out like a Christmas tree. That is, until Pansy strutted in from her latest visit to Hogsmeade and chucked the tinsel package at him.

“And I don't plan to,” he answered, snapping the paper open with more flare that was really necessary and holding it up to block the dark-haired witch from view.

“Oh, Draco,” she cooed, her voice taking on the half-whining pitch she always adopted to get her way, “why must you be such a grouch about it? It's Christmas!” Pansy stepped around behind his chair as she spoke, leaning down to wrap her arms around his neck from behind and resting her chin against his shoulder.

“Yes, Pansy, it is. But all I want this year is to find Harry Potter underneath my Christmas tree, and I'm not about to get _that_ , now am I?” Draco asked quietly, though his tone was still sharp and held a bitter edge. When he received no answer from his friend, the blond turned the page in his paper in silence.

“You know,” Pansy finally chimed, withdrawing from the wizard to step around to the front of his chair, folding her arms loosely over her chest as a smirk turned up the corners of her mouth, “you could.”

Arching one narrow brow curiously, Draco folded down his paper to meet Pansy's gaze, taking in her expression before closing the Prophet entirely. “What scheme has that brilliant mind of yours come up with now, Parkinson?”

* * * * *

After glancing one last time over his shoulder at Pansy, who had effectively pushed him into a lions den, Draco stepped closer to Harry at the edge of the Black Lake. His feet crunched loudly on the snow, and before he got too near the frozen water, Harry twisted around to look back at him. “Malfoy,” he said by way of greeting, turning his attention back towards the lake and the various students skating across the frozen surface.

“Not joining your friends on the ice, Potter?” Draco asked, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his winter robes to keep them warm. The corner of Harry's mouth twitched slightly, though he didn't look at Draco again.

“I'd only end up on my arse anyway, so I thought I'd save myself some embarrassment and just enjoy the fresh air,” he answered. “Why are you out here?” His tone wasn't accusatory, as Draco had expected it to be, only bored and mildly curious. Weasley and Granger, however, had noticed that he was hanging around the all-important member of their trio and were rubbernecking rather spectacularly as they circled around the opposite side of the lake. Judging by the concerned expression on the witch's face, and the livid one on the ginger's, Draco could see he only had a moment before what little chance he had to speak freely would be snatched away.

Pansy's words rang in his ear as he looked down at Harry, sitting in the snow and seemingly oblivious to the icy breeze that came in off the frozen lake.

_“You know, this plan of yours isn't shaping up to be quite as brilliant as I'd have hoped.”_

_“Oh, come on, Draco, the worst thing that he could tell you is that he isn't interested.” The witch looked up at him from her book to see the blond watching her with a nervous expression and added, “You'd be amazed how easy that is to cope with.” Sighing, Draco nodded, his eyes flicking over her shoulder towards the Gryffindor table across the hall and taking in the sight of Harry laughing at something Granger had said to him._

“Listen, Potter,” he started, his gaze darting to where the other two members of the Golden Trio were nearly racing towards them on the ice, “I wanted to ask you about the Yule Ball.” Harry's brow furrowed and he twisted to look back over his shoulder at Draco.

“What about it?”

“I-”

“Oi!” Ron Weasley snapped, skidding to a stop on the ice and sending a spray of shaved snow in Draco's direction as the blades of his skates scraped a layer off the top of the lake. “What are you doing out here, Malfoy?”

“Ron...”

“Can't you leave Harry in peace for once,” the redhead continued, ignoring his friend's protest. Granger, to her credit, remained silent, glancing first at Harry and then to Malfoy before placing her hand on Ron's shoulder in an attempt to gain his attention. “Bloody git like you should never ha-”

“Ron!” Harry yelled, cutting off the other boy's tirade with a glare before turning back to Draco with an apologetic expression. But by the time he did, Draco had already turned his back and stomped back through the snow in silence, drawing on what little pride he had left to his name to keep his back straight and his pace slower than a run.

* * * * *

“Well, at least he didn't say no,” Pansy offered, receiving a glare from Draco over the edge of his blanket. The blond had stormed past her on his way back into the castle, refusing to speak a word to her until they were inside the Slytherin common room. Even then, he'd only said enough to demand a warm blanket before startling some poor first-year girl out of the largest chair beside the fire. Sighing at his theatrics, Pansy had _Accio_ 'd Draco's favourite blanket and handed it over, watching as he threw it over himself and tugged it up to cover his nose while griping about being cold.

“He didn't have the chance to say no because I _didn't even get to ask him_ ” the wizard snapped, and Pansy could see him folding his arms over his chest beneath the blanket. Shaking her head, she suppressed a smile at his behaviour, knowing it would only make his mood worse to be laughed at now.

“You know, Draco,” she tried, waiting for his grey eyes to meet hers before she continued, “there are other ways to get his attention. Ones that Weasley can't interfere with so easily.”

* * * * *

“I'm sorry for ever doubting you,” Draco told Pansy, grinning as he turned the object in his hand slightly from side to side. The firelight glinted off the silver pine cone, making it glitter faintly as he watched.

“Yes, well, we can't _all_ be as brilliant as me,” Pansy preened, tossing him a white gift box before turning to walk away. “Just make sure you catch him alone, or you'll have another situation on your hands,” she said over her shoulder before slipping out of the common room to make her way to breakfast.

“More easily said than done,” he muttered to himself, carefully tucking the silver pine cone into the mass of dark emerald tissue paper inside the box. The Yule Ball was only two days away now, and due to his original refusal to ask Potter at all and then the failure he encountered the day before, his time to catch the date he wanted was quickly running out. If this idea of Parkinson's failed, then he would be going alone, if at all. After fitting the lid in place, Draco sighed as he conjured a bit of ribbon to tie around the box.

This was putting his heart on the line a bit more than he had wanted, but if it worked, the end would certainly justify the means.

* * * * *

Catching Potter without either of his two shadows was as difficult as Draco had expected it to be, although that didn't make it any less frustrating for him. At the end of the day, the gift that was tucked safely away in the pocket of his robes had done nothing but knock against his leg several times as he made his way from one class to the next.

His patience had worn thin by the time he awoke the next morning. With the Yule Ball scheduled for the following night, Draco was convinced he didn't have a chance any longer, though he still carried the gift with him to breakfast just in case. He was nearly to the doors of the Great Hall when something caught his eye and he stopped.

Potter was leaning against the wall only a few feet away from the doors, looking around as though he was expecting something. When his green eyes finally settled on Draco, he didn't look away, arching one eyebrow curiously when the other wizard stood unresponsive. “Are you going to make me come to you, then?” he asked, startling Draco out of his slightly confused state. The pine cone in his pocket seemed to become heavier to remind him of its presence, and he immediately stuffed his hand into his robes to grab it.

“Were you waiting for me, Potter?” Draco asked cautiously, his fingers wrapped tightly around the box as he waited for an answer. Weasley and Granger were nowhere in sight, and he was terrified of the perfect opportunity slipping away; but he was more concerned about looking foolish in the end.

“I'd have thought that was rather obvious, but yes. You never told me what you wanted to talk to me about the other day.” It was exactly the moment he'd been hoping to get, and Draco took a slow, measured breath to gather himself again.

“Are you planning to attend the ball tomorrow?” Draco asked, his grip on the gift box tightening slightly although his voice and expression remained steady. One corner of Harry's mouth twitched, and Draco's breath caught in his throat for a moment.

“I was considering it.”

Before he could second guess himself, Draco withdrew the box from the pocket of his robes and nearly shoved it at the other wizard. “Would you consider going with me?”

Draco heard his heart pounding in his ears until Harry's hand reached out to accept the offered gift, his eyes never wavering from Draco's face as he smiled. “I thought you'd never ask.”


End file.
